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Tori\'s Wardrobe ( White Bicycle )

Wednesday, 10 October 2012

We’ve said it before and we are happy to keep saying it…autumn is definitely our favourite season.

It’s just so easy!!!

This season sees us bowing down in celebration to the berry hues which undoubtedly have come through in every collection….from high street to top designers, we’ve all embraced the tones which are bringing warmth and luxury to our wardrobe.

Deep purples, clarets reds and the much more subtle shades of cinnamon and paprika, it really is a tale of berry and spice. Liven up these tones with the beautiful nudes and pastel greys and there really is no easier way of releasing our more elegant feminine self. These themes are really prominent in the sandwich and Olivia Rubin collections…silks and knits it’s sophistication and decadence made easy to wear!

That said, if berry tones aren’t your thing, then don’t lose heart because this season brings with it an amazing array of trends and colours even the less daring of us can find something amazing.

The boy meets girl theme is still strong and again has its place in most collections this season. Man style tailoring with big shoulders may not be for the faint hearted but don’t dismiss it…soften it with tweeds and soft silks, the concept is still masculine but the look is womanly and seductive…

Nudes and warm honey hues are definitely on my hot list for the season, and we see lots of it in the Olivia Rubin collection, nude and winter white silks mixed to create the most beautiful blouses, and to make them more day…some of the nude Charli cashmere knitwear is the perfect cosy piece to keep the look wearable….well there’s no point in buying beautiful silk items for them to hang in your wardrobe because the weathers too cold!!!

Lace is big news and we have definitely gone all out in our Oky Coky collection, beautiful lace dresses mixed up with the paprika tones worn with our amazing leather biker jackets and the look is brought from occasion to high street.

All in all it’s a season of contrasts. Edwardian, prints, the 20’s, the 60’s, the 70’s the 80’s all get a nod, from mannish tailoring to boho chic, jeans, leather, brights, nudes. Embrace it, mix it up and look and feel great this winter.

Saturday, 04 August 2012

Today I was really hoping it was going to be cold, wet and windy. A bizarre request for August? Maybe for most but when you’re in the retail trade the seasons are so blurred we forget what month it is, as when the sun actually shines we usually have winter collections in store!

So the autumn deliveries have started and there was a moment of clarity in my life when I decided I wasn’t going to hanker after the sun. I was all for embracing autumn! So… waterproof jacket purchased, a very stylish Ilse Jacobsen one in pink if you don‘t mind … and it looks amazing with my Hudson Jeans and converse, great for windy days chasing children through muddy puddles, but what about something a little more “Towie” I thought. Lo and behold through the door arrives my Olivia Rubin Autumn collection.

Now…I am one for a bit of the glam when the moment takes me so I got to thinking about weekends away and what to pack on the all important winter weekend away. You know how I love to dream about my fantasy world… So, picture a cold November day, country house maybe, glass of wine by the fire, good book….

Ok, so mood set. We’re thinking cool glam, not party dress glam so as not to be impractical for those country walks…

Here it is… just landed on my doorstep was the Olivia Rubin bright red slouchy knit with a big ball of wool on the front, of course the matching scarf is a must, paired with the Black Hudson Nico jeans and to top it off…the red Lulu Guinness weekend suitcase!! Well there’s no point in having the perfect weekend wear if you cant travel in style now is there??? That’s my wardrobe sorted, now I just need hubbi to sort the weekend!

Saturday, 12 May 2012

So, finally I got my new website www.toriswardrobe.com live! I've had my store The White Bicycle for 9 years now so it ws about time I had a website to go with it. Great says you, but seriously, I started this processs when I was pregnant with Seth...He turned 4 last month!!! Don't get me wrong I didnt really take it seriously until beofre Christmas , but finally we're here...now I just have to work out how to use it.

It's weird, when I first mentioned to Andrew ( my wonderful hubbi ) that I wsas serious about an ecommerce website he kept asking me did I realsie how much work there was and would I have the time. Well how much work can there be I thought?? Didn't someone come in, take all the pics, write all the descriptions, pick out the corresponding images, update those images, resize photos and then do this every season??? Needless to say there was a few days of silence in our house while Andrew was deciding whether or not I ws just pretending to be this stupid!! Looking back I find it all quite funny, Andrew on the other hand isn't laughing just yet....but he will!!

So here we are with the summer season supposedly underway with bright skies and green fields...today we had hailstones!

You know what though, it's fine. I think by now we're used to the unseasonal weather and being the troopers that we are we can be prepared for anything, which is probably why when I went to get myself a Part Two jacket ( equipped with hood obviously ) everyone else had beaten me to it and there was none left! How ironic that I'm looking at the stock all season and when I decide I want something they're all gone!

Looking around the store today I was deciding what would fit in well with my summer wardrobe, ( I am absolutely embracing my full summer collection next week. ) I'm loving the understated 70's tailoring, feminine and masculine pieces sitting alongside each other, the perfect complement. Boho yet sharp it's definitely a season of contrasts. Blocks of classic black bring the look up to date adding an edginess to soft summer pastels.

What collection is complete without a little bit of black thrown in, even in summer. At least it doesn't show up the rain stains.

Sophisticated and feminine all in one breath is a look totally made for the weekend...Just wish I was going a little bit further than work!!

Thursday, 08 March 2012

Well…the new autumn winter buying is all done thankfully , so now I can relax and enjoy our journey into spring. The new colours and styles are in the shop finally and now the only problem left is deciding what lovely pieces I’m going to add to be already bulging wardrobe. That is one of the disadvantages of owning a clothing store…too many clothes! Yes, yes I can just hear you all saying. Well that’s a nice complaint isn’t it…and it is except that I have so many amazing things in my wardrobe and only so many days of the week or occasion to wear them!

My little sister does do quite well out of me…she’ll probably totally deny that…but again, there’s only so much one or even 2 people can wear, maybe I should have a sale of all my own past season things?

Regardless, I am so glad to have packed away the black polo necks and boots for another year and I cannot wait to see what lovely outfits I can pull together from this seasons lovely new collections.

I think I will again embrace the 70’s look which I loved last season as well… and all those lovely jewel tones which I wore instead of black, don’t put them away, keep them out and give them a new leash of life by mixing them with the pastel shades of this season, or even some printed capris if you’re feeling brave.

What else is new so far this season…Marni for H&M! I’ve always loved Marni and the fact there is now a few bits which are affordable. Well I like it even better now! The designer collaborations for the high street are fantastic and as I purchased my first Mary Katrantzou dress from her amazing collection for Topshop over the weekend I am feeling rather pleased with myself. Now I just need somewhere fun to wear it….Maybe my hubbi will have something lovely organised for Mothers Day or maybe just because he thinks I need somewhere lovely to wear my great new dress.